Container carrier package

ABSTRACT

A container carrier package. The carrier comprises an open-ended tubular or endless length of flexible material oriented so as to provide an upper and lower layer interconnected by a pair of opposing sidewalls. A plurality of aligned apertures is provided in each of the layers for receiving respective ends of containers therein, thereby to secure and cushion said containers within said carrier.

I United States Patent l 13,570,663

[72] inventors Ernest R. Cunningham 2,313,731 3/ 1943 Brogden(206/65EUX) Libertyville; 2,828,008 3/1958 Fryburger... 206/65(C) Willi1), st kd l A li t H i ht 2,899,051 8/1959 Barnby 206/65(E) 1]], 3,027,001 3/1962 Herzog 206/ 65X [2]] Appl. No. 753,121 3,086,651 4/1963Poupitch 294/87.2X [22] Filed Aug. 16, 1968 3,195,771 7/1965 Denenberg.220/116 [45] Patented Mar. 16, 1971 3,367,557 2/1968 Farguhar.....220/112X [73] Assignee Illinois Tool Works Inc. 3,425,542 2/1969 Bolen206/65(S) Chicago, Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer Attorneys-Olson,Trexler, Wolters & Bushnell, Robert W. 54] CONTAINER CARRIER PACKAGEBeart, Michael .Kovac, Barry L. Clark and Jack R 2 Claims, 6 DrawingFigs. Halvorsen [52] US. Cl 206/65, 294/87 [51] Int. Cl. B65d 71/00 [50]Cid ofSearch 206/65(S), ABSTRACT: A container carrier p g The carrier65(Misc. Foreign); 206/65 (C), 65 (E); 229/40; 220/116, 115; 220/1 12;224/45 (B); 294/87.2

prises an open-ended tubular or endless length of flexible materialoriented so as to provide an upper and lower layer interconnected by apair of opposing sidewalls. A plurality of aligned apertures is providedin each of the layers for receiving respective ends of containerstherein, thereby to secure [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,290,970 7/1942 King", ..L ..(224/45(B)UX) and cushion said containerswithin said carrier.

CONTAWER CA f This invention relates to container carrying devices andmore particularly to a bottle or can carrier package.

Many different types of container carriers for beverage bottles or cansare now available. For the most part, these carriers are satisfactory,however, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide anew and improved container carrier which is relatively simple inconstruction and easily and inexpensively produced.

A further object is to provide a novel carrier of simple constructionand capable of retaining opposite end portions of a plurality ofcontainers therein.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a newand improved tubular, plastic container carrier which efficiently andeasily accommodates a plurality of containers such as bottles or cans.

it is still another object of this invention to provide a novel methodfor producing a container carrier of the above described type.

It is yet another object of this inventionto provide a new and improvedmulticontainer package for easily transporting a plurality of containerswithout damage to the latter.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a mu]-ticontainer package as described above wherein said containers areeasily removed therefrom.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improvedcarrier pack for packaging bottles.

Briefly, a container carrier according to the invention comprises anopen-ended tubular or endless section of flexible plastic or the likematerial folded to provide first and second opposing layers of materialeach having a plurality of holes therethrough; the holes of therespective layers being in alignment with each other. In a firstembodiment of the carrier a container is received in each pair ofaligned holes in the layers of material, with the first layer ofmaterial being held about the upper portions of the containers, thesecond layer of material being held about the lower portion of thecontainers and the interconnecting material extending along the outersidewalls of the containers. An alternative embodiment of the carrierincludes a plurality of side cutouts into which the containers areplaced, so that the containers are received in holes in the first layerof material and the bottom or base of the containers rests on the secondlayer of material.

A better understanding of the present invention and its organization andconstruction may be had by referring to the description below inconjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a process for making acontainer carrier according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is an end sectional view of a beverage bottle package using thecontainer carrier of P16. 2;

H6. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a containercarrier according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is an end sectional view of a beverage bottle package using thecontainer carrier of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the beverage bottle package of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 thereofillustrates a preferred method by which a container carrier according tothe invention is produced. An openended tubular or endless length offlexible, elastic plastic or the like material MB is first provided. Thetubular length of plastic material may be formed by heat sealing theends, 11, 13, of a sheet of plastic material to form a lengthwise seaml5 therealong. The tubular length is folded and flattened so that afirst upper, and a second lower, layer, 12 and 14, respectively, areadjacent each other in substantially abutting engagement, as shown inFlG. 1.

First and second predeterminately spaced-apart dies 16 and 18,respectively, located at a station beneath which the length of flexibleplastic tubing passes, are provided to cut spacedapart apertures 263 and22, respectively, in the tubing; the dies being movable toward and awayfrom the latter. As the tubular length of plastic material is movedbeneath the dies, the

latter are lowered in a single step to cut through both layers 12 and Mof the plastic, thereby to form the apertures 29 and 22 therein. Thedies are raised out of contact with the plastic tubing thereafter andthe tube length is moved in the direction of arrow 24 (FIG. l) apredetermined distance. The operation is then repeated. After the lengthof tubular material has had apertures such as 26) and 22 formedtherethrough, the length is cut into sections such as, for example,section 26 which includes three pairs of spaced-apart apertures 20, 22.

Once such a section is severed from the length of plastic tubing it maybe used to accommodate six containers to form a package commonlyreferred to as a six pack." A pair of halfcircle cutouts along thefolded edge 32 of the section also may be provided to form holes forcarrying the six pack, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

The dies 16 and 18 referred to above are shown as having differentdiameter sizes and thus produce different sized apertures 20, 22 in theplastic tubing. In this case the resulting container carriers areprimarily for use with bottles. The container carriers may be providedwith holes having substantially the same diameter, and may then be usedfor carrying cylindrical cans or the like. This, too, will be explainedin greater detail hereinafter.

Turning nowto FIG. 2,there is shown therein a container carrier 34formed according to the above-described method. The carrier comprises atubular section of plastic or the like material 35 having a plurality ofapertures 36 and 40 formed therein. As will be noted, the positioning ofthe carrier 34 is such that the smaller apertures 36 (corresponding toapertures 22 of the tubular section 26 of FIG. 1) are located in thesame plane or layer 38 above and in alignment with the larger diameterapertures 40 (corresponding to aperturesZl) in the tubular section 26 ofFIG. 1) which are in a lower plane or layer 42. The alignment of theapertures in this manner is accomplished by unfolding a flattenedsection such as 26 of FIG. l and reorienting, in effect by rotationabout the tubular axis thereof, the section to the position of carrier35 of FIG. 2. In this position, the cutouts such as 28 and 30 of thetubular section as of FIG. 1, are opened to form holes such as 37, 39,(FIG. 2) of carrier 34.

Bottles such as 44 are held in container carrier 34 to form a resultingcarrier package, or in this case a six pack, d6 (FIG. 3). As can beseen, the necks 48 of bottles 44 are positioned in respective apertures36 of the upper layer 38 of carrier 34. The plastic material, beingflexible and elastic, can be stretched over the bottle neck to fittightly thereabout as shown. Each of the larger apertures in the lowerlayer 42 of the carrier 34 receives a lower body portion 50 of a bottle44. it should be noted that the carrier material surrounding each of thelower layer apertures 40, is preferably caused to be folded over about arespective body portion, as shown at 52, 54, 56. This provides a doublethickness of material between 5d and about 52 and 56, the lower bodyportions of the bot tles, keeping the bottles separated, thereby. toprevent them from contacting each other in transporting the package.This is especially important when the containers carried in the carrierare breakable, since they could be shattered it hit against each otheror on an externally located object.

The bottles 44 when placed into container 341 may be so placed in one oftwo practical ways. A first preferred manner is to extend the bottleneck into one open end 58 of the tubular section 35 comprising thecarrier (FIG. 2). The neck of the bottle 48 is then inserted into one ofthe smaller apertures 36 in the upper layer 38 of the carrier. Once theneck portion is secured, the bottle may be moved to a substantiallyvertical position, so that the lower end and body portion 59 of thebottle may be received in one of the larger apertures 40 in the lowerlayer 42 direptly beneath and aligned with the upper aperture 36 intowhich the neck of the bottle already has been inserted.

The bottle may be rotated or twisted to force the body portion thereofinto the aperture ill. Preferably, the aperture 459 is of a diameterslightly less than the outside diameter of the container so that a snugfit is insured. The diameters of the upper apertures are slightly lessthan the outside diameter of the portion of the container which isreceived therein, again to insure a snug fit.

A second way to install the bottles in the carrier is to flatten thetubular section 35 into a form similar to that of FIG. I, only keepingthe respective apertures 36 and 46 in alignment with each other, as inFIG. 2. Then, with the bottles arranged in a group, corresponding to thearrangement of the apertures in the carrier, the carrier, with layer 42being beneath layer 38, is pulled downwardly over the bottle necks. Thenecks pass easily through apertures 60 but as the carrier continues tobe pulled downwardly the necks are fitted snugly into upper layerapertures 36. At this time, the lower layer 42 only is pulled downwardlyabout the bodies of the bottles until the bottles also fit snugly in thelower apertures 40.

In either case, the material about the lower layer apertures 40 tends tobe folded over as shown in FIG. 3 at areas 52, 54 and 56, as mentionedabove, to form a double thickness which serves as a spacer and cushionto prevent noise and breakage of the bottles due to their being hitagainst one another, or on an external object.

A second, modified embodiment 57 of the container carrier according tothe invention is shown in FIG. 3, and a bottle pack formed with the useof the last-mentioned carrier embodiment is shown in FIGS. and 6. Thiscarrier embodiment is similar to the container carrier 34 of FIG. 2 inthat it, too, is made from a tubular section of plastic or the likematerial.

The apertures 58, 60, in the upper and lower layers 62 and 64,respectively, are formed in the same manner as the apertures 36 and 40of carrier 36 (FIG. 2). Likewise, a pair of holes 62 and 64 is providedin upper layer 62 for insertion of fingers therein to carry a completedpackage, such as 66 of FIGS. 5 and 6.

In addition to the apertures 58 and 60, which in this case are of thesame diameter size, a plurality of elongated openings, each designatedby the numeral 68, is formed in opposite sidewalls 70 and 72 of thecarrier 57. Each of the elongated openings is aligned with a pair ofapertures, 58 and 60, in upper and lower layers, respectively, ofcarrier 57.

The elongated openings 68 are provided in carrier 57 to accommodatecontainers such as bottles 74 shown in FIG. 4, inserted therethrough asindicated by the arrows, to form a completed package 66 (FIGS. 5 and 6).

In this embodiment (carrier 57) a bottle is inserted neck (76) firstinto an elongated opening 68. The neck 76 is received in an aperture 58in layer 62, and the bottle continues to be moved thereinto until neck76 engages the material of layer 62 surrounding the aperture 58. At thattime, the lower body of the bottle is swung through opening 68 to reston the inner surface 80 of layer 64 over an aperture 60 aligned withaperture 58 through which neck 76 extends. Each of the bottles ispositioned into an elongated opening as described to form a carrierpackage 66 (FIGS. 5 and 6). Once all of the bottles are accommodated inthe package, an outer side portion 82 of body 78 of each of the bottlesextends outwardly through a corresponding elongated opening, thussecuring the bottles in position so they will not move when the carrierpackage is transported. The inner side portions 84 of bottles 74 are inabutting engagement within the carrier 57.

In the case of carrier 57, the container bottles 74 are held both aboutthe necks '76 thereof and longitudinally along the outer side portionsof bodies 78, between the base 86 thereof and the neck 76. In thismanner the bottles are prevented from excessive movement within thecarrier. FIG. 6 of the drawings illustrates in greater detail the mannerin which the side portions of the bottles 74 in package 66 extendoutwardly from respective elongated openings in carrier 57.

While the carrier embodiments according to the invention have been shownin the drawings accommodating bottles 44 or 74 of different design, thecarriers are equally as able to accommodate other containers ofdifferent variety such as beveragie cans or the like. In the case ofaccommodating cans, as men oned heretofore, the apertures in the abovean lower layers will have equal diameters, to grip the cans about thecylindrical outer wall thereof.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed, it should be understood that the invention is not limitedthereto, since many modifications may be made.

We claim:

1. A container package comprising, in combination carrier meansincluding an endless section of flexible plastic material oriented to asto provide upper and lower layers joined by a pair of interconnectingside means, said upper layer including a plurality of spaced-apart upperapertures therein arranged in a predetermined pattern and said lowerlayer including a plurality of spaced-apart lower apertures therein,said lower apertures being aligned with the apertures of said upperlayer, said container package further including a plurality ofcontainers mounted within said endless section of flexible material,said containers being arranged in a pattern like that of said apertureswith first ends of said containers extending through respective upperapertures for securing said containers within said carrier means, saidcontainers having second ends receivable in said lower apertures in saidlower layer of flexible plastic material, said second layer of saidcarrier means surrounding each of said lower apertures therein includingan upwardly directed inner peripheral wall forming with adjacent similarperipheral walls a U-shaped double thickness portion serving as cushionspreventing contact between adjacent containers and forming withcorresponding side means substantially U-shaped exterior side cushionspreventing contact therealong with external objects, and said cushionssewing to wedgingly support the containers above the bottoms of thesecond ends thereof for transport.

2. A container package as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upperapertures in said upper layer are of a smaller diameter than theapertures in said lower layer, wherein said containers include bottleseach having a body of a predetermined diameter and a tapered neck, andwherein the tapered necks of said bottles are received snugly inrespective ones of said apertures in said upper layer of said carriermeans with the necked ends of said bottles extending a substantialdistance outwardly therefrom and the bodies of said bottles are receivedsnugly in corresponding lower apertures in said lower layer of lowerapertures in said lower layer of said carrier means with the bases ofsaid bottles extending outwardly therefrom in a direction opposite fromsaid bottle necks.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,570663 Dated March 16 197L I r( Ernest R. Cunningham and William D.Stockdale It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 49, after "the" insert --present--;

Column 1, between lines 49 and 50 insert the following as a separateparagraph: --Fig. 2 is a perspective w of a first embodiment of acontainer carrier accc to the invention;-- V

Column 4, line 56, after "of" delete "lower";

Column 4, line 57 delete "apertures in said lower layer 01 Signed andsealed this 24th day of August 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.F'I.ETCHER,J'R. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, J'R. Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patents

1. A container package comprising, in combination carrier meansincluding an endless section of flexible plastic material oriented to asto provide upper and lower layers joined by a pair of interconnectingside means, said upper layer including a plurality of spaced-apart upperapertures therein arranged in a predetermined pattern and said lowerlayer including a plurality of spaced-apart lower apertures therein,said lower apertures being aligned with the apertures of said upperlayer, said container package further including a plurality ofcontainers mounted within said endless section of flexible material,said containers being arranged in a pattern like that of said apertureswith first ends of said containers extending through respective upperapertures for securing said containers within said carrier means, saidcontainers having second ends receivable in said lower apertures in saidlower layer of flexible plastic material, said second layer of saidcarrier means surrounding each of said lower apertures therein includingan upwardly directed inner peripheral wall forming with adjacent similarperipheral walls a U-shaped double thickness portion serving as cushionspreventing contact between adjacent containers and forming withcorresponding side means substantially U-shaped exterior side cushionspreventing contact therealong with external objects, and said cushionsserving to wedgingly support the containers above the bottoms of thesecond ends thereof for transport.
 2. A container package as claimed inclaim 1 wHerein said upper apertures in said upper layer are of asmaller diameter than the apertures in said lower layer, wherein saidcontainers include bottles each having a body of a predetermineddiameter and a tapered neck, and wherein the tapered necks of saidbottles are received snugly in respective ones of said apertures in saidupper layer of said carrier means with the necked ends of said bottlesextending a substantial distance outwardly therefrom and the bodies ofsaid bottles are received snugly in corresponding lower apertures insaid lower layer of lower apertures in said lower layer of said carriermeans with the bases of said bottles extending outwardly therefrom in adirection opposite from said bottle necks.